Florida basketball legend Al Horford plans on returning to the Golden State Warriors for his 20th NBA season, according to ESPN.
Horford declined a $6 million player option with intentions to sign a two-year, $14 million contract with Golden State next month, when free agency begins. The $14 million is guaranteed and the deal includes a “trade kicker.”
Only 12 other NBA players have spent 20 years in the NBA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Jamal Crawford, Kevin Garnett, Udonis Haslem, LeBron James, Kyle Lowry, Dirk Nowitzki, Robert Parish, Chris Paul and Kevin Willis. Horford makes it 13 with this deal in place.
“It’s hard to believe,” Horford said to ESPN. “It’s something that, for me, I’m very grateful. It’s just so hard to be in this league for that amount of years. There’s a lot of commitment, a lot of sacrifice and time. I still feel like I’m able to contribute and have an impact on a team.”
At 40 years old, Horford is taking extra care of his body during the offseason. He will undergo a specially-crafted strength-and-conditioning program with the Warriors in San Francisco all summer and will refrain from competing internationally with the Dominican national team.
Health was a serious problem for the Warriors a year ago, with Jimmy Butler tearing his ACL and Steph Curry dealing with knee pain. Horford dealt with sciatica and a calf strain, which limited him to 45 games — only the fourth time in his career he’s played fewer than 60.
Despite finishing the regular season 37-45, Golden State made it to the play-in and upset the LA Clippers, aided by a quarter of 3-pointers from Horford. The Warriors still missed the playoffs after losing to the Phoenix Suns a few days later.
Young players such as fellow Florida alumnus Will Richard and first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg are also expected to ease the burden of Golden State’s aging core.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Al Horford to ink new deal with Golden State ahead of 20th NBA season
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By David Rosenberg, Gators Wire | USA TODAY Network
